We relied on the very good reviews of this ship when we booked our cruise late in 2014, and the resulting high rating of the ship , but unfortunately most of the reviews and the resulting rating predates renovations that were recently completed in March 2015 after we booked. So be forewarned look at the recent reviews only and ignore the ship rating or you will be misled by them like we were. The renovations among other things added cabins and passengers, blocked off the back of the no promenade deck, eliminated lounges and common area seating, reduced the size of the fitness center, and eliminated any dining options in the piazza like on most Princess ships. As a result there is overcrowding everywhere on the ship.
Almost everyone on our crossing got sick with a respiratory illness and while this happens on any ship from time to time the overcrowding makes maintaing good hygiene to prevent the spread of illness more difficult. Forget about anytime dining on this ship...the wait for a table is so long you will be much better off getting a seat in tradional dining. Even in traditional dining many of the meals arrived cool like they were prepared hours before. Even the fries in the grill were not fres or hot. . And if you like buffets while the buffet food was hot and generally good, getting a seat in the Horizon Court was always a challenge. And the buffet line was way too crowded with people running into you and coughing over your food except at dinner. We have cruised on Royal Carribean, Cunard, Holland America, Seven Seas, and this was without a do to the worst ship we ever experienced.
comprehensive and no waiting in lines ....vip tour with 5 star luncheon...worth the 350 per person